The Swedish parliament on Thursday voted 205 to 80, with 64 abstentions, in favor of establishing a “House of Sweden” in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The Riksdag praised the good economic and trade relationship between Sweden and Taiwan, and said that it hopes to make Sweden’s presence in Taiwan more prominent, the ministry said.
It also thanked the Riksdag for taking concrete actions to demonstrate its dedication to the bilateral relationship, and expressed its confidence that the Swedish government would respond positively to the call.
Photo: CNA
The vote was the latest example of the Swedish parliament’s continued support for Taiwan, following a visit earlier this month by a delegation of parliamentarians, the ministry said.
Upon returning to Sweden, the delegation asked Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde to reiterate the government’s concern about peace and security across the Taiwan Strait, and to repeat its support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO, the ministry said.
The motion to establish a House of Sweden in Taiwan was proposed by several parliamentarians who are friendly to Taiwan, including Swedish Deputy Speaker Kerstin Lundgren, who said that apart from the economy and trade, the two countries should work to bolster their political relationship, it said.
The ministry said that support for Taiwan has become well established in the Riksdag, as a majority of members from across party lines voted in favor of the motion.
As authoritarian regimes are expanding and disrupting international order, it is even more crucial for Taiwan and Sweden to jointly safeguard their shared values for free societies, it said, adding that Taiwan would continue to deepen its relationship with Sweden.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS